Tehachapi's rate for serious crimes drops to 'all-time low'

The serious crime rate for the city of Tehachapi dropped to an "all-time low" in 2017, according to the Police Department.

Thanks to the efforts of the community in cooperation with Police Department, this is the second consecutive year there has been a drop in so-called Part I crimes.

The Part I crime levels dropped 18.4 percent in 2017 compared to 2016, reported Police Chief Kent Kroeger. In 2016, such crimes dropped 16 percent from the prior year.

There were 278 Part I crimes committed in Tehachapi in 2017 compared to 341 in the prior year. The department said the 278 is the lowest amount of Part I crimes it has ever reported.

Part I crime statistics are reported at the federal level by law enforcement agencies and include homicides, assaults, robberies, rapes, arson and more.

“Crime prevention is ultimately a shared responsibility between the local community and law enforcement,” Kroeger said in a news release. “Our community is doing an amazing job of taking extra precautions and reducing the opportunity for crimes to occur. By working together, we are having a major impact on crime in the City of Tehachapi.”